First Transit launches AV pilot

US-based First Transit, in partnership with EasyMile, is to carry out the first autonomous vehicle (AV) passenger shuttle pilot in North America, at the 585 acre Bishop Ranch Office Park in San Ramon, California. The shuttle will connect tenants to multiple transit options including bus, bike and car-sharing services. The AV passenger shuttle is designed to travel short distances using pre-programmed routes. Each shuttle can carry 12 passengers and can operate for 14 hours on a battery charge; it is equi
December 12, 2016 Read time: 1 min
US-based First Transit, in partnership with 8246 EasyMile, is to carry out the first autonomous vehicle (AV) passenger shuttle pilot in North America, at the 585 acre Bishop Ranch Office Park in San Ramon, California. The shuttle will connect tenants to multiple transit options including bus, bike and car-sharing services.

The AV passenger shuttle is designed to travel short distances using pre-programmed routes. Each shuttle can carry 12 passengers and can operate for 14 hours on a battery charge; it is equipped with a sensor and intelligent vehicle system to detect obstacles and avoid collisions.

The shuttle will run a fixed-route stopping at designated stops within the office park. The pilot will begin with two vehicles, each with a customer service agent onboard for passenger questions and information.

First Transit is also providing onsite personnel to provide maintenance for the AV passenger shuttles at a facility provided by EasyMile.
Location Based Systems

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • New opportunities in a data-rich future
    March 19, 2014
    Jason Barnes looks at where the detection and monitoring sector is heading. In the future, there will be no such thing as an un-instrumented road. Just a short time ago, that could have been a quote from a high-level policy document but with the first arrivals of vehicles with 802.11p connectivity – the door-opener to Vehicle-to-X (V2X) applications – it’s a statement which has increasing validity. The technology which uses our roads will also provide information on road conditions but V2X isn’t the only
    Read More
  • How C/AVs could serve rural communities
    July 23, 2019
    In Ireland, there is low population density and a lot of rain – which can make last-mile journeys a trial. Orla O’Halloran at Arup has some thoughts on how C/AVs could serve rural communities Connected and autonomous vehicles (C/AVs) have the potential to be a vital link for people in rural communities, as part of a wider Mobility as a Service (MaaS) solution. That is the view of Orla O’Halloran, intelligent mobility consultant at Arup. She believes that MaaS needs to be considered in conjunction with ot
    Read More
  • HEAT trials autonomous shuttle in regular traffic in Hamburg
    August 13, 2019
    The HEAT (Hamburg Electric Autonomous Transportation) project is integrating an autonomous shuttle bus into regular traffic in the German city. The electric bus will be available to riders travelling in HafenCity, a district within the borough of Hamburg-Mitte, from mid-2020. Developed by IAV, the minibus should be able to reach speeds of 50km/h while travelling along the 1.8km route. A digital communications system and sensors have been installed along the route to keep the vehicle in communication
    Read More
  • The real case for driverless mobility
    May 13, 2024
    What will automated driving really be good for? Bern Grush of Urban Robotics Foundation offers his thoughts on the big issues around its implementation - and suggests a newly-published book might point the way forward
    Read More

Highlighted Content